Free Agent Pursuit Thread(No You-Know-Who)

[bustaheims]

The unlikely Jones offer sheet is really the only appealing free agent play for me. Other than that, some cheap vets to compete with some of the youth for depth roles, but no one stands out in particular there. Unless contracts are moved out, I don't see the Leafs being players for any big name free agents.

 

[herman]

I also think that trading him would be an impossible thing to sell to that fanbase right now. At least if he signs an offer sheet and they don't match they can kind of make him out to look like the villain here.

I think you could sell it to the fanbase, you just couldn't sell it if you're not coming out of the deal grinning like the cheshire cat. There's not a soggy chance in heck that the Leafs could make that trade without giving up one of their big 4 youth and probably the #1 pick they'd lose in an offer sheet. Especially if Columbus puts him out on the market.

Like we saw with Kessel, trading as opposed to offer-sheeting doesn't mean you do better. It probably means you'll do worse.

Fair point.

While Kekalainen is not entirely risk-averse, I have a hard time pinpointing the type of players he'd be willing to give up control over Jones for, south of our big 4.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

If the Blue Jackets did decide to bite the bullet and trade Jones, it would probably come with the same caveat that the 3rd overall pick did: gotta take one of their terrible contracts as well.

 

[McGarnagle]

If the Blue Jackets did decide to bite the bullet and trade Jones, it would probably come with the same caveat that the 3rd overall pick did: gotta take one of their terrible contracts as well.

It's clear Columbus has some serious issues, but surely the optics of trading Jones would be just terrible.

 

[Deebo]

Columbus' cap issues look absolutely horrible.

 

[bustaheims]

Columbus' cap issues look absolutely horrible.

3 trainwreck contracts in Clarkson, Foligno, and Tyutin, along with a few other less than ideal numbers on some valuable pieces.

 

[herman]

Columbus' cap issues look absolutely horrible.

3 trainwreck contracts in Clarkson, Foligno, and Tyutin, along with a few other less than ideal numbers on some valuable pieces.

Tyutin's relatively short term. Of the bunch, I'd be okay taking that one on. Is it buriable?

Dubinsky's doesn't look great either, but at least he is somewhat productive.

 

[bustaheims]

Dubinsky's doesn't look great either, but at least he is somewhat productive.

His is roughly in-line with what a 2nd line C would get on the market. It's not an efficient contract, but it's not an awful one. It's just a season or two too long.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

His is roughly in-line with what a 2nd line C would get on the market. It's not an efficient contract, but it's not an awful one. It's just a season or two too long.

I feel like Dubinsky is kind of in the same boat as Grabovski. We all felt that Grabbo was a good second line centre but really he was just a good 2C on a non-playoff team, so he's a pretty low-end 2C. And like Grabovski, he's reached that age where he's probably going to be worth less and less of his contract after every year passes.

 

[Omallley]

Columbus' cap issues look absolutely horrible.

3 trainwreck contracts in Clarkson, Foligno, and Tyutin, along with a few other less than ideal numbers on some valuable pieces.

Bobrovsky?

 

[sneakyray]

aaaaannnnnd...forsberg is signed 6 years 36 million.

 

[bustaheims]

Bobrovsky?

Because of his health issues of the last couple seasons, yeah. If he can stay healthy, he's at a reasonable number. I was thinking more like Savard, Dubinsky (to an extent), and, to a lesser extent, Hartnell - who I have concerns about continuing to live up to his deal, but not to the extent that he'll be awful.

Also, Boll at $1.7M? Why?

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Also, Boll at $1.7M? Why?

Yeah it's little deals like that too that are just adding up. They have 20 players signed and only 3 of them make under $1mil.

 

[Bullfrog]

The unlikely Jones offer sheet is really the only appealing free agent play for me. Other than that, some cheap vets to compete with some of the youth for depth roles, but no one stands out in particular there. Unless contracts are moved out, I don't see the Leafs being players for any big name free agents.

I expect them to be fairly quiet as well. They've already got Laich, Michalek, and Greening. Maybe Parenteau comes back for another year? He had a decent year so he might get some interest on the market though.

 

[Deebo]

Okposo would be #2 on my list of available free agents.

Okposo seems like the type of FA that will end up with a regrettable contract.

 

[bustaheims]

Okposo seems like the type of FA that will end up with a regrettable contract.

Yeah, maybe. He seems like a safe bet to be a 20 goal, 50 point type, but he's probably going get paid more than you want to spend for that kind of production.

That being said, there isn't a clear "mistake contract" type out there like we've seen in the past few summers, and with the cap not growing much, I wonder if we're going to see a continuation of the more sensible spending we saw some of last summer.

 

[herman]

Assuming we tender offers to all of our RFAs and the waiver-eligibles come up, and we open the season with MNM in the lineup, we have 26 players (at least one on IR).

Centres: Kadri, Bozak, Matthews, Holland, S. Carrick
Left Wing: JvR, Leivo, Michalek, Greening, Laich
Right Wing: Komarov, Nylander, Marner, Lupul (+?), Horton (+)
Left Def: Rielly, Gardiner, Hunwick, Marincin, Percy
Right Def: Zaitsev, C. Carrick, Corrado, Robidas (+)
Goalie: Andersen, Bernier

I'd prefer to free up some space for Soshnikov, Hyman, Brown to make the lineup. We can safely part ways with Sam Carrick or keep him and dangle him on the waiver wire.

Barring a trade to move an incumbent, top-RHD is really the only part of the lineup I'd part with assets to fill now.

EDIT: forgot Horton

 

[jonlleafs]

So, yeah, offer sheet Seth Jones. Anything between $5.5-$7.3mil would only mean we lose a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I'd be willing to do that at this point for him.

I agree. I wonder though if the Leafs can do that when, at this point, I think they're obligated to send away their next two 3rd round picks.

Whatever happened to "we must be patient so we can keep rebuilding and drafting young kids?"  Now we're throwing away 1sts and 2nds?  This is a very bi-polar board. 

 

[Kin]

Whatever happened to "we must be patient so we can keep rebuilding and drafting young kids?"  Now we're throwing away 1sts and 2nds?  This is a very bi-polar board.

Yeah. First you say you want to use your draft picks on a top 2 defensive prospect, now you say you want to use your draft picks on a 21 year old top 2 defensive prospect. MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

 

[bustaheims]

Whatever happened to "we must be patient so we can keep rebuilding and drafting young kids?"  Now we're throwing away 1sts and 2nds?  This is a very bi-polar board.

Well, the difference here is that we're talking about moving picks for a 21/22 year old 1st pairing defenceman. So, we're still talking about adding a very young player. It's not an ideal scenario, but, it directly addresses a need with a player who is right in the age range of the other core pieces - for instance, he's 6 months younger than Rielly.

That being said, with the significant potential for that pick to end up being in the top 3, it's not a move I see the team making.